Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna’s Bandhu 2.0 gets trolled; fans slam 'slopification of music'

THe free of Bandhu 2.0 on June 17 from Cocktail 2, featuring Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna, has triggered warm backlash online. Even out before its free, the makers had leaned into a self-aware promotional strategy, joking virtually the inevitable trolling that comes with recreating a cult classic. But once the track dropped, the internet responded exactly as predicted. For many fans, the 2012 original Tumhi Ho Bandhu remains an era-defining anthem. Its appeal still lies in its easy, beachside vibe, carefree energy and the natural sense of freedom it captured on screen, making it one of the most memorable Bollywood party tracks of its time. Fans call out the choreography and visualsSeveral social media users criticized what they described as Bollywood's growing obsession with creating songs designed specifically for social media trends. Perhaps the most viral reaction came from a user who bluntly wrote, "Relaxo chappal ke ad main Salman bhai isse zyada effort dalte hai (Salman bhai puts in more effort than this after wearing Relaxo chappals)." "The awful choreography was done keeping in mind that people on reels and shorts could easily imitate the dance steps," one user wrote on X, pointing to what they called the reelification of Bollywood music.Another user added, “the slopification of music, the reelification of choreography and the frootification of music videos.” Some viewers were also unhappy with the overall look of the song. One person described it as “yellow lighting with the most clickbaity tiktok a** choreo.” Fans say the original had a deeper meaningMany felt the biggest issue was that Bandhu 2.0 forgot what made Tumhi Ho Bandhu so special in the first place. "The original one was all about being in the moment and having fun. This looks so artificial. Looking into the camera with forced choreography," wrote one user.Another social media user pointed out that the original song served a narrative purpose in Cocktail. “How can the same director forget the context of the original song? It marked such a pivotal shift in Meera's character arc and Irshad Kamil wrote the lyrics as an extension of her inner voice.” The self-aware trolling strategy also faced criticismThe promotional video itself featured Shahid Kapoor joking that recreating an iconic song would inevitably invite online criticism. The actor even used the term "con-troll" while speaking about the inevitable backlash.About the songBandhu 2.0 has been sung by Kavita Seth and Neeraj Shridhar, with music composed by Pritam and lyrics written by Irshad Kamil. The song features Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna. Cocktail 2, written by Tarun Jain and Luv Ranjan, is set to release in theatres on June 19, 2026.